Historically, motor vehicles have exhibited obvious telltales to operators and bystanders indicating that the vehicle is “on,” or that various vehicle systems are otherwise active. For example, the operation of many internal combustion engines, especially older engines, are sufficiently loud and generally exhibit a sufficient degree of vibration during operation that their running is obvious to the driver, passengers, and anyone standing nearby.
Modern automotive vehicle systems are increasingly modifying traditional indicators that signal to vehicle operators and bystanders that a vehicle is running, that torque is being applied to vehicle wheels, that a vehicle is in gear, or that a vehicle's engine is even active. For example, modern internal combustion engines are relatively quiet and nearly free of vibration that can be perceived outside the vehicle. Moreover, the introduction of automated engine stop-start (S/S, AES, etc.) systems, hybrid powertrains, or battery electric vehicles (BEV) may make it more difficult for an operator or bystander to realize that a vehicle is active, running, in gear, or otherwise poses a potential danger to bystanders when in motion or during service.
Moreover, vehicles without a traditional ignition key that is turned in a cylinder pose the additional problem that it is not readily obvious to the driver or passengers that the vehicle's electrical power is still enabled, particularly when the audio system is off. Additionally, even if gear selection would otherwise indicate torque production, torque may not currently be produced, or there may be little to no indication in the traditional sense of motor/engine sound and feel. For example, some systems cancel torque equal to application of torque requestors minus torque inhibitors such that when canceled the vehicle may momentarily appear ‘off’ to operators familiar only with traditional systems.
Behaviors of vehicle systems can therefore be complex and go beyond the operator's ability to keep track of the vehicle's current motive state without specialized knowledge of these systems. In some cases knowledge of previous states may also be required to predict current states without proper examination of supporting vehicle displays and/or other available indicators.
Similar issues can exist for those who may be approaching such modern automotive systems external to the vehicle itself or those who may be servicing or contacting the vehicle. This same lack of indicators described above, also make it more difficult for such a person to know what to expect of the vehicle and/or its potential motive capability, or even whether it is currently enabled for use. Ignorance of these states can lead to increased risk and cause for uncertainty of theft, safety, depletion of power reserve, or other undesired results.
Many of the concerns described above are made more problematic upon operator exit of the vehicle, when the operator may be unaware or uncertain of the present vehicle state. Some systems today utilize tell-tales, message center indications, or audible alarms to attempt to warn the operator that exit of the vehicle may be undesirable given the present state of the vehicle which allows the operator to make an informed decision. However, some concern remains that either operators may be sufficiently distracted (e.g., not looking at the instrument cluster as they are in a rush, on a phone, interfacing with toll booths, parking lot ticket systems, etc.), handicapped (e.g., unable to hear audible alarms due to disability, or use of phone, radio, or headphones/earphones, etc.), or just confused as to the meaning of such indicators. Also, existing known mechanisms do little to nothing to warn those external to the vehicle that they may need to take note of the vehicle's present state.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method of alerting vehicle operators and bystanders of potential dangers associated with activated vehicle systems.